BUENOS AIRES – Argentina celebrated on Thursday the 70th anniversary of the enactment of the law giving women the right to vote in the South American country.

The women’s suffrage act was unanimously approved by Congress on Sept. 9, 1947, and signed into law a few days later by Juan Domingo Peron during his first presidential term.

The legislation allowed more than 3.5 million women to vote in the 1951 general elections.

During a ceremony at the Casa Rosada Museum, President Mauricio Macri called for a larger role for women in social development, the presidential press office said in a statement.

“Fortunately, the role of women in our society is by now obvious, but back then it was a historic event that acknowledged that true democracy requires everyone’s participation,” Macri told the 150 women attending the ceremony.

“Inequality, however, still persists and we are all seeking ways to make improvements,” Macri said.

Among those attending the ceremony were 89-year-old Divina “Pancha” Choulet, who donated the voter registration card she used in the 1951 election to the museum.

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